Ok, my fellow fibromites. I have an odd question to throw out that is completely unrelated to Fibro.

I have to figure out something for work and I thought I'd throw the question out to you.

Item in question: A stainless steel steamer insert (the kind placed into a stock pot for steaming veggies).

Custom's definition of cookware: vessels intended to be placed directly on the range, or in the oven, to have food cooked therin by heat. It includeds pots, pans, casseroles, kettles, and Dutch Ovens.

Custom's defintion of kitchenware: vessels used in food preparation where heat is not applied to the vessel, for example a mixing bowl, colander, or measuring cup.

Now.....where do you think the steamer insert should go - into kitchenware or cookware? Now, it is not placed directly on the range, but it is also not used in food prep - it is used to cook in and heat is applied, but it is applied indirectly.

There is no info that I can find to decide this. Yes, this is what I do every day. I know many of you suffer from terrible fibrofog, but I need someone outside my field to tell me what they think & I thought some of you might appreciate the distraction. People in the field always disagree on these things.

Thanks in advance!

Kerri

Fibromyalgia since 2006

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."Robert F. Kennedy

OK, I have a couple of questions...I'm not getting the entire picture. What is it you are trying to do/figure out? What is your end result? Are you writing a tech manual, assembling parts...help me out here and I'll give it a go. Engineering/mechanics is in the realm of what I used to teach.

I'm trying to decide if it's cookware or kitchenware, according to Custom's definition. I work in imports and each item we import needs to be correctly classified to determine what is coming into the country and what duty rate should be applied.

The issue is that it does not fit directly into either category. The heat is not directly applied, but it is indirectly applied. I do not think it is kitchenware, but our Custom's broker classified it under this number. So....am I right, that it is cookware, or are they right, that it is kitchware?

:)

Kerri

Kerri

Fibromyalgia since 2006

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."Robert F. Kennedy

Sorry to pop in from another forum, but I saw this on the sideline categories, and thought maybe I could help. I love to cook, and what you describe to me would be cookware. Now, that was fun....what a cool job!

It is a 2.5% duty difference, and the possible error was caught in an audit, so I have to have a good argument if I'm going to dispute it.

I am also helping to design a system where people who know nothing about Customs classification, but know about the product, can go into the system, answer a series of questions, and get to the Custom's classification. I have been designing the questions & answers. So, I thought asking all of you would be good and would help me with this as well...I believe more people would go into the "cookware" category than into the "kitchenware" category if they had a steel steamer insert. I think the same may be true if someone had a roaster rack, which is similar to the steamer...placed inside the cookware.

Thanks for your help, everyone! :)

Kerri

Fibromyalgia since 2006

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."Robert F. Kennedy

I would say it is cookware also. The kitchenware examples are never heated on a stove...directly or indirectly. But the purpose of the steamer is to steam (a form of cooking) food. How does it create steam? It's put on a stove in another piece of cookware. Sounds good to me! Besides your custom's broker probably doesn't know what a steamer is!

I believe that the fact that it is not put directly on the stove is irrelevant. It is more closely associated with cookware than it is with kitchenware. It is used in the act of cooking food and heat is applied, but indirectly through the stock pot. A colander is less similar to it than a v-rack that you put in a roasting pan.

Thanks again!

Kerri

Fibromyalgia since 2006

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."Robert F. Kennedy

That's funny, cuz, I immediately thought if I were looking for a steamer basket in a catalog or something, I would look under kitchenware and not cookware, since cookware is usually pots and pans. I understand the arguements being made here to make it cookware, but not the first thing I thought, and aren't we supposed to go with gut reactions? Anyway, good distraction!Still learning how to manage my Fibromylagia, and all the lovely gifts it brings.

I had severe spinal stenosis, had fusion done on C5-7, and my life has changed.

Hmm, Julieleaps, interesting! I'm really glad you shared, that is helpful! I like hearing the other side and analyzing it - it's one of the things I love about my job.

Well, I am going with the Customs ruling that I found, where they classified a V-rack under cookware. This is enough backup for me to form an argument, should it ever be contested. It seems that most on here agree with me. Thanks for the help - I hope you liked the distraction, having to think through something odd and different.

See, to me it is cookware. But, it is important in my job to analyze the actual definition and not rely on what I think I know to be true. What matters is how Customs defines it.

Kerri

Fibromyalgia since 2006

"Tragedy is a tool for the living to gain wisdom, not a guide by which to live."Robert F. Kennedy